These Salted Caramel Almond Flour Cookies, which are inspired by the Tahini Cookies from the Best of Vegan Cookbook, are super quick and easy to make and are not only vegan, but also gluten-free (not to mention delicious!). They’re the best cookies to make if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to regular cookies. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a mixing bowl, a baking sheet, and you can start baking. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s vegan & gluten-free
- It’s quick & easy to make (ready in just 20 minutes!)
- You won’t need any kitchen tools (like a food processor)
- It’s a healthier alternative to traditional cookies
- It’s delicious!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Dry Ingredients
- Blanched almond flour: almond flour (also called almond meal), is essentially ground up almonds.
- Tapioca flour or cornstarch: this is used to bind the recipe. You can omit if you can’t find it, but don’t add more almond flour to substitute it.
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- Almond butter: you can use tahini or any other nut butter instead.
- Maple syrup: you can also use coconut nectar or brown rice syrup.
- Almond extract or vanilla extract: the almond extract brings the almond flavors to another level, but vanilla extract is a great addition too!
Toppings
- Vegan caramels: Cocomels are by absolute favorite vegan caramels! They’re made using coconut milk instead of dairy milk and they melt just the right amount when added to the almond flour cookies fresh out of the oven.
- Sea salt flakes: these are optional, but highly recommended!
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Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels
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Recommended Equipment
1.5 QT Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
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Buy Now → How to Make These Almond Flour Cookies Step by Step
Step one: Preheat the oven & Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a medium or large mixing bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, almond butter, maple syrup, almond or vanilla extract, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined using a spatula or wooden spoon.
🌿TIP: if you’re new to baking, using a kitchen scale rather than a measuring cup can help you get more consistent results.
Step Two: Prepare the Cookie Dough Balls and Bake
Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, form nine cookie dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet (or cookie sheet). Press them down gently to form the cookies (using a fork, for instance). No need to separate them too much since they’ll only spread a little while baking. Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the caramels, Decorate the cookies & Enjoy!
While the cookies are in the oven, cut the caramels into smaller pieces and set aside. Once the cookies are ready, immediately top with the caramel pieces and sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top. Let cool on a cooling rack or a plate for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!
🌿TIP: It’s better to add the caramels after baking the cookies as they’ll melt too much otherwise.
🌿TIP: Experiment with the toppings! These can easily be turned into almond flour chocolate chip cookies by replacing the caramels with dark chocolate chips (or why not use both if you’re in the mood for extra sweetness?)
🌿TIP: the baking time might vary depending on the kind of oven you’re using. To be on the safe side, check on the almond flour cookies at about 8 minutes.
Salted Caramel Almond Flour Cookies – Frequently Asked Questions
Can i make these with Coconut flour instead of almond flour?
The short answer is no, not really. Coconut flour and almond flour absorb liquid differently and you therefore need vastly different amounts for recipes. If you do want to try using coconut flour, you’ll need to experiment with the amounts and keep in mind that both the taste and the consistency of the cookies will be different.
Can i use Brown Sugar or coconut sugar instead of maple syrup?
Yes, but the cookies might need a little more liquid. If you do use brown or coconut sugar and the cookie dough is too crumbly, add a bit of plant milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until it reaches a firmer, dough-like consistency.
How should i store these almond flour cookies?
These cookies are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge and should be eaten within 1-2 days to ensure they don’t get too dry. If you’re planning on eating them the same day, you can also store them at room temperature (or take them with you on the go!)
Can i just use regular all purpose flour or wheat flour instead of almond flour?
Yes, but in that case they will no longer be gluten-free cookies (unless you use a gluten-free flour blend) and you might need to adjust the amounts slightly. If you’re looking for a veganized version of a more traditional cookie recipe, check out this chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Can i use coconut oil instead of almond butter?
Technically yes, but in that case you might need to use slightly more almond flour and a little less oil. I haven’t tried it with oil, so I can’t guarantee it’ll turn out the same.
Do i need to use an egg replacer?
Vegan egg replacers, such as a flex egg, are commonly used in baked goods, but for this recipe, the tapioca starch binds the dough enough, so you don’t need to add any other egg replacer.
More Recipes You might like
If you enjoyed these healthy almond flour cookies, you might also like these No-Bake Funfetti Donut Holes, these buckwheat and almond flour pancakes, or this salted chocolate tart. If, however, you’re in the mood for something a little more chocolatey and indulgent, try these Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins. If you want to get all our new recipes in your inbox, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Salted Caramel Almond Flour Cookies – Recipe Card
Read the recipe card below for additional almond flour cookie recipe notes and to save/pin/print this recipe.
Salted Caramel Almond Flour Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup 100 g almond flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or cornstarch
- 1/4 cup 60 mL almond butter,
- 1/4 cup 60 mL maple syrup,
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 9 vegan caramels
- Sea salt flakes to top - optional, but highly recommended
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, almond butter, maple syrup, almond or vanilla extract, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, form nine cookie dough balls and place them on the lined baking tray. Press them down gently to form the cookies (using a fork, for instance). No need to separate them too much since they'll only spread a little while baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the cookies are in the oven, cut the caramels into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Once the cookies are ready, immediately top with the caramel pieces and sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!
Notes
If the oil has risen to the top of your almond butter jar, be sure to mix it into the almond butter before using it.
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Text/Photography: Kim-Julie Hansen.
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